This bill seeks to redefine the employment status of incarcerated individuals in Minnesota by explicitly recognizing them as employees under the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act and related laws. It introduces new legal language that classifies incarcerated persons as employees who may provide labor voluntarily or involuntarily in correctional facilities, thereby extending whistleblower protections and labor rights to these individuals. The bill mandates fair compensation for inmate labor, ensuring wages are set at or above the state minimum wage, and requires that a portion of their earnings be allocated for personal savings and costs associated with their confinement.

Additionally, the bill amends various sections of Minnesota Statutes to enhance employment opportunities for incarcerated individuals, allowing for the establishment of businesses and cooperatives created by inmates. It caps deductions from inmate wages for confinement costs at five percent of gross wages and clarifies their status as employees under state law. To oversee the implementation of these changes, the bill establishes an "end of slavery implementation task force," which will include diverse stakeholders and report annually on job availability and the act's impact on recidivism, with a final report due by July 1, 2029.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 177.23, 179A.03, 181.931, 182.651, 241.27, 243.23, 243.88, 363A.03